Shock absorber



3 MITH SHOCK ABS BER May 21,

2 Sheets heet l Filed June 27, 1932 v W fl'eld @522 May 21, 1 935. 5 $M|TH 2,002,100

' SHOCK ABSORBER Filed June 27, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 21, 1 935 UNITED STATES PATENT O FFIC-E f 2,902,109" v f SHOEK ansmmnn st rnum Smith, North Rrovidence,,I n, 1: Application June 271932 Serial? Ni. 61mins. 2.0mm. (o1..2.6 -a).;

gMy-dmentiom relates to improvementsin shock absorbers-adapted to be used on vehicles of all invention" includes a plunger member- V attachable-{teavehicle portion and a; casing at i 'taachab'lato anotlier' vehicles portioncontainingthe opposite pliingenend and with. the casing so shaped? soas to; have the opposite sides thereof inclined fi om=thecentei=-to the ends thereof; pref embly being ei-llptically concaved fon-this purpose arml vvith the lower end of 'the plunger contained witliim said: casing havingresilient wedgermeans thereitnadaptedit'o reoipmeatsup"and?clown vvithr in said a casing amt-' to contract: on the upwardi thereof betweenthe inclined upper portidnsof the walls thEI'BOfi and on. the: lower-movementhbetween the-inclined; lower portions: of the opposite walls: thereof; the inclined portionsthus limiting the=- 11px andi down moves mentfi of the resilient wedge member of;' my; device; I preferably constrnct -the resilient wedge member in: the form ofi a double elliptical: spring:

a free-lbwenendi composed ofitwmoppositee ly disposed convexsleaves andtoff a slightly; greater: widthldianithe-centen portion;of thescasingrwalls. yElnpioying elliptical springs; it: obvious that? haveprovided aconstmction which-maybe read.- ily comprcssedilyet onepractically: impossible to pull outixtln ough thezopen end offthecasing; With a shock absorber. which may be built with a minimum amount of space and constructed of a relatively small number of simple and easily manufactured parts.

These and such other objects of my invention as may hereinafter appear will be best understood from a description of the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an embodiment thereof. a

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my device applied to a vehicle.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my improved shock absorber with one of the side walls of the casing removed to show the 'parts in neutral position withtlie sides of the'double ellipticalspringebut tingthe inner-surfaces of the end wallsof. meelliptical casing 5 Fig; 3 similar: view: of the same showing the plunger-in-Ifuil lines-in its-extreme lower po ll sitiom v I I Fig. 4; is. as. transverse section! takfini. upwards. throughthe linemeofifligez;' s

Im the: drawings. wherein: like characters: of w refenenceindicatexlike parts throughout lll: generally indicates. a: vehicle. axle; on. which is suitablyrmountedt alusual vehicle-leaf spring t2 suitablyrsecuredi thereto. by;the clamps I4; I. prefisition and in dottedl'ine in; its-extreme upper poerahly'mounts the casing. Hi3 on my; invention; on; 15*

fiizmlyrsecimech the: casingtov. arvehiclersupportinga pant, although it;i's obvious-sthatathencasingc may; bczmoimteds on the: axle I10; or: on: any; other desiredi off the vehicle My improved shock absorberr includesznotl only; the: casing; L6,. but

alsozthe plungen-memben-3il.;,in, the embodiment. a.,

shnwm having; the: upper end 32'. adapted: to be? secured to; a vehicle: pant 3.4,; which has, more manta relatiye to. thavehiclapartlfi onil, by; means of the bolt 36 or otherwise. Said plunger extends downwards through the hole 38 .in the top of the casing l6.

My improved shock absorber therefore comprises a casing l6 adapted to be mounted on the vehicle supporting part l2 having oppositely disposed walls, in the embodiment shown the oppositely disposed end walls 40 having inner surfaces 42 inclined from the center 44 thereof to the top end 46 thereof and to bottom end 48 thereof, in my preferred embodiment said inner surfaces 42 being preferably laterally concaved to form an elliptical concavity in said casing extending from the top 46 thereof to the bottom 48 thereof. In the embodiment shown the side walls 50 of said casing are preferably flat. The casing may if desired be provided with the bottom wall 52. i

As stated the plunger has an upper end 32 adapted to be attached to a vehicle part 34 movable relative to said vehicle supporting part on which the casing I6 is mounted extending through a hole 38 in the top wall of said casing and having resilient wedge means 52 secured to the lower end 54 thereof. The resilient wedge means 52 is preferably of slightly greater width than the tapered or elliptical casing end walls 40 and is reciprocatable within said casing with the outer surfaces of said resilient wedge means 52 contacting said inner surfaces of said oppositely disposed elliptical casing end walls 40. In the preferred embodiment shownthe resilient Wedge means preferably comprises the double elliptical spring 52 provided with the convex leaves 58 preferably-jointly of slightly greater.

width than the center portion of the casing and preferably having a free lower end 60 so that the ends of said leaves 58 may have movement relative to each other to cushion lateral or angular thrusts between the relatively movable parts of the vehicle. It is apparent that employing the construction of double elliptical spring that I have provided a strongconstruction and one which will not pull out of its elliptical casing with a very great pressure, and that by having the free lowerend 60,the, action of each individual leaf counteracts the'action of the vehicle spring as it pulls in opposite directions. Each leaf of the opposed elliptical spring functions when there is an angular joltiof the shock absorber to act as a lever on the opposite leaf functioning against its end wall to cause it to act as a lever to equalize the shock and to immediately readjust the vertical-position of. the spring.

It is apparent that I have provided a construction particularly when the spacing of the leaves :158 isslightly greater than the width of the center'portion of the casing, which due to the resilient structure of the wedge means 52 will permit'it to contract as it reciprocates vertically up and down as shown in Fig. 3 from the larger lellipse shown in Fig. 2 to the constricted ellipse shown in Fig. 3 and that the compressionof the elliptical spring or other resilient wedge means employed will tend to ease and cushion the shock in either direction, the rebound from the shock .'.tending to send the spring back to the neutral position shown in Fig. 2 and the action of the elliptical spring tending to cause the leaves to expand from the contracted positions shown in Fig. 3 near the top and bottom respectively of the casing to automatically return itself to the mid position shown-in Fig. 2, thereby automatically tending to return itself to the center portion of the casing-after either an up or down shock. It is apparent therefore, that I have provided a novel type of shock absorber functioning equally to take up either the up or down shocks, to equalize the shocks and return itself to a mid position and constructed of a relatively small number of simple Working parts.

It is understood that my invention is not limited to the specific embodiment shown and that various deviations may be made therefrom without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the appended claims. 7 i

What I claim is:

1. In a shock absorber, a casing adapted to be mounted on a vehicle supporting part having end walls having the inner surfaces thereof vertically concaved to form an elliptical concavity in said casing, a plunger having an upper end adapted to be attached to a vehicle part movable relative to said vehicle supporting part extending through the top wall of said casing and having two oppositely disposed hemi-elliptical spring leaves secured to each side of the lower end thereof, concave side outermost, each having an outwardly bent lower end and having the lower end of the elliptical portion thereof slidably contactingthe opposite hemi-elliptical spring-portion to forman elliptical spring of slightly greater width than the distance between the elliptical casing end walls, reciprocatable within said casing against said oppositely disposed elliptical casing end walls and having a free lower end adapted to permit relative movement between the lower ends'of said hemi-elliptical springs.

2. In ashock absorber, a casing adapted to be mounted on a vehicle supporting part having end walls having the inner surfaces thereof vertically concaved to form an elliptical concavity in said casing, a plunger having an upper end adapted to be attached to a vehicle part movable relative to said vehicle supporting part extending through the top Wall of said casing and having two oppositely disposed hemi-elliptical spring leaves secured to each side of the lower end there width than the distance between the elliptical casing end walls, reciprocatable within said casing against said oppositely disposed elliptical casing end Walls.. I 1

- SHEFFIELD SMITH. 

